| Summary: | Antarctica is a 5.4 million square mile land mass, larger than the United States and Mexico combined. Covered by an ice sheet 7,000 feet thick, it constitutes 90 percent of the world's ice and 70 percent of the world's fresh water. The United States, in conjunction with 11 other nations, drafted and signed the Antarctic Treaty of 1961 to prevent the territory from becoming an object of international discord. Although Antarctica has been free of conflict for the last sixty years, the operational environment has changed. Global population growth, natural resource scarcity, and climate change are altering Antarctica's operational environment, requiring the Department of Defense (DoD), along with inter-agency and multinational partners, to develop a comprehensive Antarctic strategy that complements the Antarctica Treaty of 1961 and protects US national interests in the near term and beyond. Antarctic pursuits may be costly and risks upsetting the international balance of power, but where there is risk, there is also opportunity.
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